Curse of Resthaven director shares tips for surviving its six-day loop

Hilltop Studios director Scott Christian published a starter guide for Curse of Resthaven on Xbox Wire on October 30, 2026, a day after the gothic narrative roguelite launched on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Steam. His core advice: treat every six-day loop as research, because Ambrose keeps what he learns when the island resets.

What the game asks of you

You play Ambrose, the newly appointed governor of a cursed island colony who is also hunting for his missing niece, Amalia. Six days into the job, Resthaven is destroyed and he wakes up on his arrival day again, the only person who remembers. The loop mixes investigation, interrogation, trading, town upgrades and card-based expeditions into the wilds beyond the walls.

The tips worth keeping

• Question people more than once. What a resident tells you depends on what Ambrose already knows, so a dead end on day one can open up after you learn a new topic elsewhere.
• Trading is not optional. Merchant ships and upgraded businesses supply the resources that expeditions demand, so neglecting the economy stalls the mystery too.
• Plan each loop around one goal. There is more to chase than six days allow. Pick the most promising leads and leave the rest for the next reset.
• Expect expeditions to change. Encounters are drawn from a pool, so a second trip into the wilderness can surface events you never saw the first time.
• Lean on the journal and map. After the opening hours a timeline unlocks; a "???" marks an important event you have not witnessed yet. The town map swaps a question mark for a portrait once you have met a named character.

Christian also explains that clues are tiered internally as bronze, silver and gold, from vague nudges held by many townsfolk to one or two characters who spell out the next step outright.

Endings and New Game+

There are three branching timelines, and reaching all three conclusions unlocks a fourth, true ending. Finishing a timeline enables New Game+, where Ambrose's growing déjà vu lets you fast-track scenes you have already played.

Price and availability

On Steam the game costs $19.99 for Windows and Mac, published by Digital Bandidos, and a free demo covers the full first loop plus the first day of the next, with saves carrying over. English is the only listed language, with full voice acting across more than 25 characters. It is Hilltop's second game after the gate-guard comedy Lil' Guardsman.

Source: Xbox Wire; Steam.